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Utahraptor
Utahraptor (yoo-tar-rap-tore; meaning "Utah Thief") is a genus of large dromeosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in North America during the Early to Middle Cretaceous period. Utahraptor is known from a well-preserved skeleton found in 1991 in Utah, USA and fragmentary remains from South America. Measuring 5–8 meters in length, 2–3 meters in height, and 1000 kilograms in weight, Utahraptor was the largest member of the Dromaeosauridae family ever found, much larger than its later kin, such as Deinonychus and the more famous Velociraptor. Their size was great enough to enable these monstrous raptors the potential to attack, at best, even small Sauropods. Much like the later raptor species, Utahraptor ''was armed with sickle-like claws on its hind legs and it had self-replenishing teeth in its jaws. Thus, these pack-hunting killers were well armed. Facts Time/Era/Period ''Utahraptor was not only the biggest, but also the oldest known dromaeosaur. Thus, it was the first raptor ever to evolve. It lived during the Early and through out the Middle Cretaceous period from 130–100 million years ago. It shared its environment with other creatures like Deinonychus, ''Iguanodon'', Polacanthus, and Pteranodon. Hence it's name, it was discovered in the state of Utah and is known from a well-preserved skeleton found in 1991 in Utah, USA and fragmentary remains from South America. Size/Description 1000px-WWD104EuropeanIguanodon54.jpg 1000px-WWD104EuropeanIguanodon58.jpg A large dromaeosaurid species notable by their large size, Utahraptor was arguably the largest and strongest dromaeosaur that ever existed. They stood 6 feet (2 m) tall, measured 16.5–24 feet (5–7.4 m) in length, and weighed in at over 1,500 lbs., as heavy as a bear. Utahraptor had large eyes and long grasping hands with large, sharp ripping claws. Its toe joints were specially enlarged so that its massive claw could be raised upward and backward to avoid damage while running. But when used in attack, its huge slashing claw flexed forward as the animal kicked out. Swinging in a wide arc its huge 20 cm slashing claw would produce terrible wounds enabling a Utahraptor to cripple and kill animals much larger than itself. With lethal claws, these killers were well armed, and long fingers allowed them to latch onto swift moving, larger prey. However, Utahraptors had the short legs of a sprinter and though they could move at speeds as fast as 20 mph, they did not pursue their prey for long. The unique wrist-joints of the dromaeosaurs allowed the hands to pivot sideways, an action similar to the folding of a bird’s wing. Behavior ]] Like many predatory dinosaurs and all species of raptors, even ''Utahraptor hunted in packs; in numbers of up to three individuals at least. Utahraptors were deadly and vicious predators, able to quickly and brutally kill their prey. They preferred to stalk and follow their prey unseen under the cover of vegetation and/or darkness, before emerging from their cover and swiftly closing in for the kill. They also had a hard time going without a kill for more than over a week. Whenever they made a kill, they ate as much as 100 kilograms in each sitting and whenever they ate, there was a strict pecking order in their feasts, and the large adults come first, whereas they younger and weaker of the three Utahraptors would be nearby and they would have to wait their turn. Journal Entry Gallery Utahraptors.png Wwd2.jpg 1000px-WWD104EuropeanIguanodon17.jpg 1000px-WWD104EuropeanIguanodon19.jpg 1000px-WWD104EuropeanIguanodon51.jpg Category:Prehistoric Animals Category:Dinosaurs Category:Reptiles Category:Cretaceous Wildlife Category:Cretaceous Dinosaurs Category:Dromaeosaurs (Raptors) Category:Predators